Reproductive ecology of Cipadessa baccifera (Meliaceae)

Abstract

Cipadessa baccifera is a woody shrub that propagates through seed and underground root stock. The flowers display urceolate androecium, strong protandry, stigma receptivity displayed by turbinate style-head and secondary pollination mechanism. They are self-compatible, nectariferous and produce all three common sugars and certain amino acids in the nectar, and also certain amino acids in the pollen. Further, the flowers present generalist pollination syndrome adapted for pollination by different classes of insects. Bees, wasps and butterflies act as pollinators with the first group effecting mostly geitonogamy while the other two, mostly xenogamy. In this species, spontaneous autogamy is not functional because protandry prevents it. However, flower-visitors could effect autogamy after the stigma attains receptivity but most of the pollen of the flower has been removed by insects by that time. Hand-pollination tests indicated that manipulated autogamy, geitonogamy and xenogamy are functional with highest fruit set in the last mode. Such breeding system indicates the function of facultative xenogamy which delays self-pollination by strong protandry and promotes cross-pollination. The fruit is a fleshy globular drupe that produces 5–10 seeds united by a common fleshy arillod. Seed dispersal modes include ornithochory, barochory and hydrochory. Therefore, the dual mode of propagation, facultative xenogamy, secondary pollination mechanism, generalist pollination syndrome, entomophily and polychory functional in C. baccifera enable it to grow prolifically and expand its distribution in areas where there is no tree cover.